九品中正 has nothing to do with the actual official ranking as in 九品芝麻官. It is a ranking of candidates for official employment, not the actual official rank. How it works is each commandery would have an officer called the 中正, who would adjudicate local talents and rank them from "upper-best", "middle-best", "lower-best", "upper-medium", ... "middle-lower", "lower-lower" (上上、上中、... 、中下、下下)--a total of 3x3 = 9 ranks. The list would then be submitted to the provincial officer called the 大中正, who verifies the ranking and then submit it to the Minister over the People (司徒) for evaluation. The Minister then releases the list to the Secretariat office (尚書), who makes the formal appointments. (Information taken from 黃大受's 中國通史, 1993).

"Whatever you do, don't fall off the bridge! It'll be a pain to try to get back up again." - Private, DW 8

Another name for the style 九品中正 is 九品官人法, as you all know, was drawn up by Wei's Chen Qun (陳群).

Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime; let me lead you from your solitude. Say you need me with you, here beside you, anywhere you go, let me go too, Christine, that's all I ask of you...

Lady Wu wrote: 破虜將軍 - General who Destroys Insurgents (Lu is again a noun)

Not General who Smashes Caitiff ?

Lady Wu wrote: 橫江將軍 - General who Crosses the River (Heng is a verb)

Would there be a hidden meaning that is General who Blocks the River ?
"鐵鎖橫江 (Locking the River with Metal Chains)", can't go upstream, nor downstream...

Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime; let me lead you from your solitude. Say you need me with you, here beside you, anywhere you go, let me go too, Christine, that's all I ask of you...

So the top tanks I've heard of are Grand Marshal, Grand Commander (and I've head this can sometimes be translated as Grand Minister of War) and Grand General.

Is there a particular difference in power and authority between these ranks? And how much political authority could the people with one of these titles wield? The title of Grand General was one He Jin had and it gave him extraordinary power, but his role in the army was rather small.

I've a brave warrior in my army. Shen Ai is his name, and he can slay this Hua Xiong.

Wei has no more famous commanders, Shen Ai takes lead of the vanguard!